The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 89

goL>d, '1"ivi11g fu him thnt. honour whioh is are past, etc., i.e. inquire from the cnrliest his dnr. end doing his ·will from the he1trt time of mnn's nhode on the earth. From the (c-f. 2 C'hron. xv. 15). Wl1cm men h1t,·o one aide of heaven unto the ·other; eenrch tho npnsinlizerl from God, it is oft.en by me1tns records of nll times and places, whether any 0f "tribulation" thnt they nre brought to a so grcnt a thing b1ts ever happened or beou rid1t sllltc of mini\ towarrls him, and to heard or. n true repcntnnrc "not to be repented of;" Ver. 33.-(Cf. ver. 12; v. 22-26; Gen. and to C'ffcrt this is the dC'sip:n of nil the xvi. 13.) rhnstisrm~nts whirh Gorl sends on his own Ver. 34.-Hath God assayed, etc.; bath pPnplo , HPb. xii. 5-11; cf. Jcr. xxiv. 7; he ever mado the attempt to come on the xxix. J 0-13; l. 4, eto.; Ezek. vi. 11, C'to.). earth and take a nntion from tho midst of a Yrr. 30.-In the latter days; in the aftei·- nation, ns he took the Hebrew people from ,rard of days ( □~1;:~ ri:-~n~i; ., end," eh. xi. among the Egyptians? By temptations (n\o~, 12)-a phrase used sometimes to designate pin. of ;,~~. n testing, a trio.I)- i.e. by the the times of the Messiah(Iso.. ii. 2; Hos. iii. 5; plagues inflicted on Pharaoh and his people, romp. Acts ii. Ii; 1 Pet. i. 20; Heb. i. 1 ; whereby they were tested and tried-by l ,John ii. IS); but here, as generally, it signs aud by wonders. "The wonder (ni;,10) simply indicates futurity, the time to come differs from the sign (n\N) in tbie, that the (cf. Gen. xlix. l; Numb. xxiv. 14; eh. xxxi. former denotes the properly marvellous, the 29, etc.). This, however, may include the extra.ordinary, the uncommon, consequently far distant future, and so points to the time the subjective apprehension of the miro.cu- when Isrncl shall finallv return to the Lord lous event; the latter the significant ele- nnd be saved, through 'the ncknowledgment ment in the miracle, the reference to the nf him whom they despised e.nd rejected higher, Divine design, the purpose of God when he came e.s the l\lessieh promised in it, consequently to the objective side to the fathers. Ae St. Paul grounds the of the mimcle (comp. eh. xiii, 2) •• (Hiiver- assurance of the final redemption of Israel, nick, •Comment. iib. Ezech.,' p. 161). By 8S n whole, on their calling of God (Rom. war (cf. Exod. xiv. H; xv. 3-10); by a xi. 26-29), eo Moses here sees in God's mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm covcn:rnt the ground of the ever-watchful (Exod. vi. 6; xiv. 8; eh. v. 15); and by care nud grace of God to Israel, and the great terrors (Exod. xii. 30-36), the effect scrurit v of their fine.I restoration as a nation. on the Egyptians of the Divine inflictions Yer.'31.-Will not forsake thee; literally, (cf. Pe. cv. 27-38; cvi. 21, 22). will not let thee loose, will not lose hold of thee, Ver. 35. -All this Israel was made to see, will not cast thee off (cf. Rom. xi. I, etc.). in order that they might know that J ehove.h "Israel "ill return and find God, because is alone God, e.nd beside him is no other. he loses not hold or it" (Herxheimer). •• The sinner will incline to seek God only God co•;:i~}ii;,, the God), the one living e.nd when he apprehends him as gracious and true Goel. ready to heo.r" (Calvin). Ver. 36.-(Cf. Exod. xx. 18-22.) To Vers. 32-40.-Still more t.o enforce his indicate still further the pre-eminence of Israel, Moses emphasizes the supernatural warning against apostacy, and urge to character of the revelo.tion God had given obedience and faithful adherence to the to them, e.nd the awfnl manner of its de- service of Jehovah, Moses appeals to what livery; God spake to them with audible they he.d already experienced of God's grace voice, out of heaven, amidst fire, and they in the choosing of them to be his people, in heard his words out of the fire. To instruct his speaking to them to instruct them, aud thee. The verb here used (,p;) meo.ns in the miracles which he had wrought for primarily to bind e.nd thence to correct, to chasten, which meaning some interpreters their deliverance and guide.nee; grace such would give here. But the word means also e.s had never been showed before to any to correct by instruction, to instruct or nation, or heard of since the creation of the persuade (cf. Isa. viii. 11; xxviii. 26; Ps. world, and by which those who had ex- xvi. 7); and the connection, both with what perienced it were laid under the deepest precedes e.nd with what follows, requires this meaning here. obligations of gratitude and duty, to love Vore. 37.-And because he loved thy and serve him by whom it had been showed. fathers (cf. Gen. xv. 5-7; Exod. xiii. With this appeal he closes his first address. 15-17, etc.). Inasmuch as God he.d loved Ver. 32.-For. This connects the statement their fathers, the patriarchs, and he.d chosen that follows with that which precedes as its them their deecende.nta to be hia people, cause ; it is becau.se Jehovah is e. merciful e.nd bad delivered them out of Egypt, that God, tho.t the unparalleled gre.ce showed to he might eatablilh them in the promised lere.el had been displayed. The cla71 that land, having driven out thence nations ('If. IV, 25-49.) THE BOOK OF DEUTEilONOMY. 75